Wainwright, Alberta — Approximately 5,500 military personnel participated in Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE 2018 (Ex MR 18), which focused on validating three Level 6 headquarters from 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (5 CMBG) from 13 to 24 May at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, Alberta. This annual force-on-force collective training event is designed and delivered by the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre (CMTC).

This year, troops from 5 CMBG based in Valcartier, Quebec were the Primary Training Audience for Ex MR 18. 5 CMBG exercised the 1st Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment and 12e Régiment blindé du Canada battle groups in a joint and immersive environment that involved military personnel from the United States, Britain, France and Australia. Concurrently but separately from Ex MR 18, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) were training for their upcoming Mali mission.

“Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE 2018 is the keystone training event for the Canadian Army. It has enabled 5 CMBG, along with our Allies, to work together as a single team and confront challenges head on in stability, defensive and offensive operations” said Colonel Peter Scott, Commander CMTC.

CMTC, based in Wainwright, is the Canadian Army’s (CA’s) Centre of Excellence for Collective Training. It is optimized to enable the certification of Battlegroup and Brigade forces in a Joint, Interagency, Multi-national and Public environments. Short of an actual deployment, CTMC provides the most realistic and dynamic experience to prepare Canadian troops for an operational deployment.

Ex MR 18 showcased the Air-Land integration between the RCAF, CA and U.S. forces. U.S. participation consisted of more than 1,300 soldiers, eight UH60 Black Hawk helicopters, three UH72 Lakota helicopters and two CH47 Chinook helicopters.

The participation of Allied nations provided opportunities to exchange know-how with Canada’s Allies which improved our interoperability and enhanced the training realism. Interoperability is a critical component for Task Force commanders and planners dealing with coalition partners. The exercise also created important networking and interpersonal relationships.

As the largest annual training event for the CA, the logistical support required to enable the conduct of Ex MR 18 is considerable. The level of training that Canadian soldiers received was designed to get them ready to deploy on an operation, potentially in a very high-threat environment. Realistic training saves lives and helps better prepare Canadian soldiers to protect Canadian values and interests at home and abroad.

In July, 5 CMBG will take over as the High Readiness Brigade, ready to respond to any range of operations at home and abroad. Currently, they are preparing personnel to deploy to ongoing missions in Ukraine (Operation UNIFIER), Latvia (Operation REASSURANCE), and whatever future missions may be required by the Government of Canada.